BOSSES at cash-strapped West Middlesex Hospital have defended their decision to spend £20,000 a month on a new consultant.

The hospital, in Twickenham Road, Isleworth, has brought in a 'turnaround director' from consultancy firm Kingsgate to help it break even this financial year.

The company has been paid £38,000 for his services in the two months since September 14 - equivalent to £228,000 a year.

Jean Doherty, former co-chair of West Mid's Public and Patient Involvement Forum (PPIF), claimed the new director was being put up at the exclusive Richmond Hill Hotel at a cost of £150 a night.

But this was denied by a hospital spokesman who said any expenses were covered by the £38,000 provided, and it was a matter for Kingsgate how this money was spent.

Ms Doherty questioned the hospital's decision to spend so much on consultancy fees at a time when thousands of NHS staff across the country face the threat of redundancy. She fears the appointment may lead to ward closures and job losses, and could affect standards at the hospital.

"I understand surgeons have been told to operate faster, which I am extremely concerned about. I do not know what the response has been from the surgeons," she said.

West Mid is still saddled with a £21.8 million historic debt and faces a struggle to break even this year, at a time when hospitals across the country are being asked to make savings.

A spokesman for the hospital insisted patient safety was always its priority. He said all staff had been asked to analyse their work and see if any efficiency savings could be made without impacting on performance.

"A surgeon's time is extremely valuable and we don't want them to be sitting round twiddling their thumbs," he told the Chronicle. "We're not asking them to speed up operations but we want to make sure services around them work better so their skills can be better utilised.

"Alongside other NHS trusts we face a challenging financial environment over the next few years. We have therefore decided to engage a turnaround director, from Kingsgate, with experience of working with similarly challenged organisations, to ensure we deliver our financial obligations whilst maintaining quality."